This invention relates to a sterile conduit connection apparatus and more particularly to a feed-bag structure, that includes the sterile conduit connection apparatus.
Presently, a wide variety of solid compositions including cell culture supplements, buffers, media or the like are utilized in the biotechnology industry in producing and purifying biological products such as protein. These biological products are required to be produced under conditions to avoid product contamination. In many cases, the reagents are expensive and reagent losses should be minimized or prevented.
Presently, feed-bags containing the product producing reagents are provided with a conduit for filling and emptying the feed-bag of the reagent. This conduit is provided with a valve to permit or prevent passage of reagent through the conduit. The feed-bag conduit has a flange extending about the periphery of the conduit opening. A cap shaped to fit over the conduit opening to prevent outside atmosphere from entering the bag and for minimizing loss of reagent also is provided. A flexible gasket is positioned between the conduit flange and the cap. The cap also is provided with a flange that extends about its periphery. The flanges then are pressed together with the gasket between them by a clamp that extends over both flanges. The clamp has a pivot connection, which permits it to open and close about the flanges. This presently available conduit seal structure is undesirable since it is costly due to the multiple components and it requires two persons to effect the seal, one to activate the clamp and a second to retain the cap and conduit.
Presently available feed-bags also are provided with a means to connect to a source of water in order to wash out all available reagents to direct it to a desired point of use. Presently available washing arrangements are undesirable since not all of the reagent is washed out.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a one-piece conduit sealing construction, which is effective and simple to operate by one person. In addition, it would be desirable to provide such a sealing arrangement, which permits storage of a means for opening or closing a valve within the conduit. Such a sealing construction would be economical and simple to operate. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a feed-bag structure that permits washing out of all of the reagent in the bag.